Refractory-lined tundishes



1965 H. T. HALLOWELL, JR 3,203,689

REFRACTORY-LINED TUNDISHES Filed May 10, 1962 INVENTOR. HOWARD ThomasHALLOWELL 0R.

ATTORNEYS United States Patent This invention relates to a vessel of thetype known as a tundish for containing molten metal, and comprising ametal casing lined with refractory material. A tundish is used incasting operations as an intermediate vessel between a ladle and amould, to receive a charge of molten metal from the ladle and to pour itat a controlled rate into the mould, as required.

A tundish is usually preheated to a high temperature to reduce theamount of metal solidifying in it, and this and other operating factorsresult in the refractory lining having to be replaced regularly. Forexample, the refractory lining of a tundish associated with a continuouscasting machine may be satisfactory for only one casting operation,whereas the lining of a ladle may remain satisfactory for fifteensimilar operations.

It has previously been known to make a refractory lining for a tundishfrom refractory bricks, or by ramming sand or other granular refractorymaterial around the inner surface of the metal casing, but these methodsare slow and laborious.

According to the present invention a tundish has an inner lining ofmoulded ceramic material preformed as one or more monolithic shells andfitted inside the outer casing.

Preferably, for small vessels, the ceramic lining is of one-piece shellconstruction, but if the lining comprises several preformed shells thesemay be joined together by cement having good refractory properties.

A layer of heat-insulating material may be placed between the outercasing and the ceramic lining.

The tundish may have one or more nozzles for pouring molten metal intomoulds. In one arrangement the nozzle or each nozzle extends throughregistering apertures in the ceramic lining and the outer casing;alternatively the nozzle or nozzles may be moulded integrally with theceramic lining.

The invention may be carried into practice in various ways but onespecific embodiment will now be described by way of example withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a tundish, in section on the line II ofFIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 2 is a crosssection on the line II-11 of FIGURE 1.

In the illustrated embodiment the invention is applied to a tundish 10of generally rectangular plan having a flat base portion 11 and upwardlyextending, nearly vertical side walls 12. The end walls 13 of thetundish are inclined to the vertical at about 30.

The tundish 10, which is of rigid construction, comprises an outer steelcasing 14 capable of supporting the weight of the tundish together witha charge of molten metal contained in it. The steel casing 14 is linedwith a layer of heat-insulating material 15 in any conventional3,283,689 Patented Aug. 31, 1965 manner, and the layer 15 is covered bya monolithic ceramic shell 16 comprising the refractory lining of thetundish. If the tundish 16 is of small dimensions, it will be convenientto construct the ceramic lining shell 16 in a single piece, but in theillustrated embodiment, which is a large tundish, the shell 16 is formedin two pieces 16A and 16B constituting identical prefabricatedmonolithic shells Whose edges 17 are abutted and joined together, eitherin the tundish or before being placed in it, by a cement having goodrefractory properties.

The tundish 10 is provided with a pair of nozzles 18 in its base portion11. The nozzles 18 might be formed integrally with the ceramic shells16A and 16B, but in this case separate nozzle members are provided whichextend into the interior of the tundish through apertures in the shells16A and 1613, the nozzles passing through the insulating layer 15 andthe outer steel casing 14.

The tundish may be used in conjunction with a detachable roof indicatedat 19, which covers the open top of the tundish. The roof 19 is providedwith a central aperture 24) through which molten metal can be pouredfrom a ladle into the tundish, the metal from the tundish beingdistributed at a controlled rate through one or each of the pouringnozzles 18 into moulds located beneath the tundish, the moulds forexample being incorporated in a continuous casting machine.

The ceramic shells 16A and 1613 which constitute the lining of thetundish 1% can be mass-produced under factory conditions, and becausethey can be quickly replaced when worn out or damaged they enable theoperating costs of casting processes involving the use of the tundish tobe reduced, since less time and labour will be required for re-liningthe tundish as compared with previously used arrangements.

I claim:

1. A tundish comprising a rigid metallic outer casing having upwardlyextending sides and a flat bottom portion, said casing being capable ofsupporting the weight of the tundish together with a charge of moltenmetal, a layer of heat insulating material Within said outer casing, aninner monolithic lining for said tundish formed from a high strengthrefractory material, said lining forming a structurally self-sustainingshell removable as a unit, said inner lining, said heat insulatingmaterial and said outer casing each being provided with alignedapertures located in the bottom portion of the tundish, and a nozzleinserted in and projecting through said aligned apertures.

2. A tundish as claimed in claim 1 in which the lining is a ceramiclining of a one piece shell construction.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,43 8,559 3 48Hubbell 266-43 2,650,255 8/53 Hogel et al 266--38 2,826,793 3/58Flickinger et al. 2285 2,871,008 1/59 Spire 26639 2,961,722 11/60Lilljekvist et al. 22-84- 3,028,642 4/62 Stauifer 2285 J. SPENCEROVERHOLSER, Primary Examiner.

MARCUS U. LYONS, MICHAEL V. BRINDISI,

Examiners.

1. A TUNDISH COMPRISING A RIGID METALLIC OUTER CASING HAVING UPWARDLYEXTENDING SIDES AND A FLAT BOTTOM PORTION, SAID CASING BEING CAPABLE OFSUPPORTING THE WEIGHT OF THE TUNDISH TOGETHER WITH A CHARGE OF MOLTENMETAL, A LAYER OF HEAT INSULATING MATERIAL WITHIN SAID OUTER CASING, ANINNER MONOLITHIC LINING FOR SAID TUNDISH FORMED FROM A HIGH STRENGTHREFRACTORY MATERIAL, SAID LINING FORMING A STRUCTURALLY SELF-SUSTAININGSHELL REMOVABLE AS A UNIT, SAID INNER LINING, SAID HEAT INSULATINGMATERIAL AND SAID OUTER CASING EACH BEING PROVIDED WITH ALIGNEDAPERTURES LOCATED IN THE BOTTOM PORTION OF THE TURNDISH, AND A NOZZLEINSERTED IN AND PROJECTING THROUGH SAID ALIGNED APERTURES.